Receptacle top



1929. E. s. McDOUGALL 1,723,799

RECEPTACLE TOP Filed May 10, 1928 INVENTOR F I 5 I I ESTUART M9 poueAu.

\ MM VG AT TO B N; YS I Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UhllED S AYES earner OFFICE.

REGE'E'IACLE TOP.

Application filed May 10, 1928, Serial No. 276,749, and in Canada May 14, 1927.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in receptacle closures and particularly to receptacle closures in which are used the standard circular cardboard caps usually employed for sealing inilk bottles, and the object of the invention is to provide a specially constructed receptacle top which will facilitate the opening of the receptacle without the use of picks or other pronged instruments.

Another object is to provide a receptacle of the class stated which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, and in which means will he provided to hold the cap in a predetermined position without handling the underside of the cap, thereby avoiding the risk of infection or contagion through such handling.

A further object is to provide a receptacle, the top of which will form a perfect sealing means when used in conjunction with a resilient circular cap.

In my invention I provide a receptacle top having an internal annular shoulder or seat which extends around and in close proxiinity to the receptacle opening. The said annular shoulder or seat is made with part of its circumference sufficiently wide to sup port a resilient cap and prevent it from being forced into the neck of the receptacle. The remaining part of the shoulder or seat 1s 111st made of sufficient width to contact with the cap and form a seal therewith, hut

on reasonable pressure being applied to the cap at an indicated point, said second part of the seat or shoulder will allow the cap to pivot as hereinafter described. The inner wall extending from said shoulder to the upper edge surrounding the opening, con verges towards said edge so that a resilient cap, when pressed into the top of the receptacle against the upper surface of said shoulder, will engage with the inner wall and form an eilicient sealing means which will allow free handling of the receptacle during transportation of same. The converging inner wall also forms a means for holding the cap in its open or pouring posi tion. I may also provide means on the upper edge of the receptacle to hold the cap positively in position during the process of pouring the contents from the receptacle. The upper edge is also provided with means to indicate where pressure may be applied to the cap to open the receptacle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved receptacle top; Figure 2 is a parital sectional elevation of the top taken on the line 2-2 Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the receptacle top taken on the line 3-3 Figure 1; Figure l is a perspective view of the receptacle top with the cap shown in the unsealed or pouring position, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the receptacle top showing the cap supporting shoulder.

teferring more particularly to the drawings in which I have shown a mill; bottle for illustrative purposes only, 11 designates the neclr or top of the bottle, the upper edge 12 of which may be flat, shown, or rounded as desired. A shoulder or seat 13 is formed in the inner wall of the neck in close proximity to the edge 12, but spaced therefrom, said seat-being adapted to form a support for the usual circular cardboard or paper stopper, or cap 14, which used for sealing receptacles of this class. The shoulder or seatis made of two different widths, with its maximum width 13 extendin iart wa around the inner wall of the receptacle for a distance slightly more than half the circumference of said wall. In my preferred form, I prefer the circumferential length of the said wide part ofthe shoulder, or seat, to be approximately equal to two-thirds the circumierence of the inner wall, or to embrace an angle of from 200 to 280. The remaining part 13 of the shoulder or seat is made of less width than the part 13, so that a decided step is formed between the said parts of the shoulder or ledge. The ends 15 of the wider part of the shoulder may he bevelled as shown in Figures 1 and 5, or they may he formed parallel with the longitudinal axis of the receptacle and may project inwardly from the edge of the shoulder. The ends of the wider part of the shoulder form a pivoting means for the cap when the portion supported only by the narrower part of the shoulder is pressed down into the re ceptacle and the cap is in the open position shown in Figure 4.

The portion 16 of the inner wall between the shoulder or seat and the edge 12, converges inwardly towards said edge, so that the cap, which is made of resilient material, requires to be pressed into position to seal the receptacle, the edge of said cap being adapted to frictionally engage with the inner wall towards the outer edge of the ledge or shoulder and rest upon the annular shoulder. It will be noted that this forms a close seal with the verging walls tending to hold the seal in position if the pressure due to weight of the milk is exerted on the cap through upturning of the bottle during transportation of same.

The converging wall by frictionally engaging with the edge of the cap, may form a meansfor holding the cap in its open position. A star 18, or like mark, may be formed in the upper edge of the receptacle to indicate the centre of the portion of the cap supported by the narrow part of the shoulder between the ends of the wider part of the seat or shoulder. I may also provide recesses or grooves 17 in the inner wall in proximity tothe upper edge 12, to hold the cap in its open or pouring position in a positive manner, as shown in Figure 4. Modiiications may be made in the shape of the neck of the bottle or receptacle without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In operation to close the receptacle, the cap is pressed into the neck until it engages or rests upon the uppermost surface of the shoulder or ledge. The cap being made of cardboard,.or such like resilient material, frictionally engages with the lowermost portion of the converging inner wall and forms an eflicient seal which will allow rough handling or even upturning of the bottle without spilling its contents during the transportation of same. To open the receptacle,

-pressure is applied to the edge of the cap supported by the narrow part of the seat, the position of which is indicated by the mark on the upper edge of the top. There being only enough support under the cap where pressure is applied to form a seal and not to prevent the pivoting of the cap, the

said portion is pressed down into the top or neck, while the remaining portion is raised. by pivoting about the ends of the ledge or shoulder, as shown in Figure 5. The edge of the raised portion frictionally engages with the uppermost edge of the inner wall and holds the cap in any desired position during the pouring of the contents from the bottle. In cases where recesses are formed in the inner wall near the upper edge of the receptacle, the cap may be pivoted until its edge springs into said recesses to hold the cap in a predetermined position while pouring the contents of the receptacle.

It will be easily seen that there is no necessity for the operator to handle the underside of the cap while opening the receptacle, and that no picks or such like instruments need be applied to the cap to lift it into the open position. This construction prevents the bottle contents from becoming infected by germs carried by the hands of the operator during the process of opening the receptacle.

The device is very simple and eiiicicnt in operation and is inexpensive to manufacture, as the shoulder may be formed when moulding the top of the receptacle during the manufacture of same.

It will be readily seen that the part 13" of the seat may be modified and made flush with the inner wall of the receptacle without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is z- I l. A receptacle top having an annular seat extending around the inner wall of the neck of the receptacle near the upper end thereof, the greater circumferential part of said seat being of greater width than the remaining part thereof and forming a, pivoting means for the receptacle closure on each side the neck, between the different widths of the seat, said inner wall converging from said seat towards the upper edge of'the receptacle.

2. A receptacle top having an annular seat extending around the inner wall of the re ceptacle neck near the upper end thereof, the greater part circumferentially of said seat being of greater width than the remaining part, the junction between said parts forming shoulders about which a closure cap may be pivoted, said shoulders being adapted to project into the neck of the bottle, said inner wall converging from said seat towards the upper edge of the receptacle.

3. A receptacle closure comprising a receptacle having a seat extending around the inner wall thereof, said seat being made in two widths, the larger width extending for a distance equal to more than half the circumference of the wall, said seat being positioned in close proximity to the opening of the receptacle, a plurality of recesses formed in said inner wall in proximity to the junction between the wider and narrower parts of the seat, and a closure member adapted to. lie fiat against the seat in the closed position and to engage with the said recesses when in the open position.

4. A receptacle closure comprising a receptacle top having an inner annular seat near the upper edge thereof, said seat being made in two widths, the larger width extending for a distance equal to more than half the circumference of the inner wall of the neck, a plurality of recesses formed in to engage with the recesses in the upper edge the upper edge in proximity to the junction when in the open position, and means to inbctween the wider and the narrower parts of dicate where pressure is to he applied to the 10 the seat, said inner wall converging from the cap to facilitate opening of same.

5 seat towards the upper edge of the recep- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set tacle, and a resilient cap adapted to lie flat my hand. on said seat when in its closed position and E. STUART MGDOUGALL. 

